


The Path to Tony's Workshop (and Heart) is Not an Easy One

by timeloop



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Attempt at humour, Getting Together, Light Angst, M/M, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-01
Updated: 2014-03-01
Packaged: 2018-01-14 05:00:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1253779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timeloop/pseuds/timeloop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every time Steve tries to get to Tony's workshop, weird things happen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Path to Tony's Workshop (and Heart) is Not an Easy One

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeta'd, all mistakes are mine. Originally a 5+1 but then the flow turned into this!

Steve waited patiently for the elevator, a screwdriver in hand. This was the one of the rare times Tony had called him to the workshop, asking Steve to bring back the screwdriver he had left on the kitchen table a few hours ago. Since he was so bored with paperwork Steve decided to help the man out, so here he was, standing in Tony’s elevator.

Steve was twirling the screwdriver in his fingers when a panel in the left side of the elevator slid open with a hiss, revealing a circuit board.

He looked at it with wide eyes. "Um. JARVIS?"

"Yes, Captain Rogers?"

He pointed at the panel instinctively. "Is that supposed to be happening?" Just as he finished speaking, the elevator jerked to a halt and Steve was thrown against the back, causing to him let out a cry of surprise.

"It seems that the elevator has malfunctioned, Captain. Hold on while I run some diagnostics."

Steve asked while rubbing an arm at his now sore shoulder, "Anything I can do here?"

"My checks have shown that a sudden power surge caused this and I am unable to reroute the circuits when the safety board has been ejected. I'm afraid that you have to manually reroute. Do you still have the tool Sir asked you to bring to him?"

The screwdriver was lying like an abandoned toy on the floor, and he scrambled to pick it up. Taking a step towards the exposed circuits, he was about to screw the board back in place when JARVIS spoke again.

"Sir, I suggest you use some sort of insulation?"

Steve hadn't thought about that, so he took off his shirt and ripped it in half so that he could wrap both his hands. Just as he picked up the screwdriver and began screwing, the elevator jerked to life and the number indicated that he had reached the workshop floor.

This time though, the jerking didn’t manage to hurt him as Steve had held onto the wall to steady himself. When the doors slid open, he released his grip only to realise that there was now a deep dent on the wall in Tony's elevator shaped like exactly like his hand.

He grimaced and thought, “Great. Now I've ruined his elevator.”

Steve was contemplating how he was going to explain the imprint currently on the wall when he heard Tony call out, "Steve? You got my screwdriver?"

He spun around and exclaimed, "Tony!"

At this point the other man had left the workshop table and was standing at the entrance of the elevator, his eyes focused on a gauntlet he was holding. He looked up distractedly, blinked twice before shaking his head and saying, “You're not wearing –” Tony widened his eyes and took a step to the left. He looked behind Steve. "You punched hole in the wall of my elevator." Tony raised an eyebrow. "All I asked was for my screwdriver. If you didn't want to do it then you could have said so, you _really_ didn't have to punch a hole in my elevator. Do you know how much time it’s going to take me to fix that? Really, Steve, I'm not a big fan of passive-aggression. We can actually talk, you know. Breaking my elevator wall is _not_ effective communication and I really do not need another team bonding session because the last one was – don’t remind me oh god – and why the hell are you half naked?"

Steve was still struggling to process all of Tony’s rambling and he snapped, "You gonna keep talking or is it my turn now? The elevator stalled. JARVIS told me how to fix it. The shirt, was uh, insulation. Yeah."

Steve stopped talking because he was afraid that the more he tried to, the more he was going to screw this up. This always happened whenever he was alone with Tony, and he wondered why. He wondered why his heart started pounding, why he felt so nervous and on edge, why he felt a rush of anticipation at the thought of seeing Tony, Tony with his rambling and inventing and _genius_ that was so overwhelming at times. He cleared his throat and held out the screwdriver like it was a peace offering.

Tony just gave him a weird look and turned away, causing Steve's heart to drop, until Tony turned back and motioned to him to come closer.

“Turn around.”

“Huh, why?” Steve asked in a confused tone.

Tony didn’t say anything more, but he moved such that he was now behind Steve, and he pressed down _hard_ on the bruise Steve had gotten earlier. He had felt Tony’s warm and gentle fingertips brush his skin, and Steve had been about to protest, but the pure relief he felt after that hard press was so pleasurable he didn’t even feel like moving. He felt a ball of cloth being pressed into his hands, and Tony was rolling his eyes as he handed Steve a t-shirt. Steve rationalized that Tony’s hand touching his under the cloth was merely an accident, and nothing more.

___________________________________

After that incident, Steve decided to take stairs to the workshop instead. As he placed a foot on the first step, he was hit by a mild jolt of electricity that shocked him just enough to make him stumble backwards. Confused, he tried again only to encounter the same situation. A sharp zap of electricity that was enough to temporarily stun a person. Still at a loss, he sought the help of a being that was possibly the most helpful in these types of situations.

"JARVIS? Why am I getting electrocuted when I try to walk on the steps?"

"Sir has programmed it such that no can enter the workshop without caffeine." There was not an ounce of humour in the A.I’s voice.

"Without caffeine – hold on are you telling me Tony is _electrocuting_ people just because he wants some coffee?" Steve asked in an incredulous tone, having never heard of such a bizarre thing in his entire life.

"Well, Captain, Sir has never been one to ask directly for what he desires. Besides, it is only a mild shock of electricity that keeps distractions away from the workshop. In addition, this doubles up as a security measure that Sir has implemented to prevent unwanted intruders."

"I just." Steve took a deep breath. "Has anyone else tried to go down?"

“No, Captain. All the Avengers’ bio signatures have been put into the systems. You are all equally protected by the security measures.”

Steve had to admit, he was impressed by Tony’s foresight and the way he was trying to protect all of them, but that did not mean he could let Tony just _electrocute_ people. So he asked, “JARVIS, when was this caffeine code put in place?”

"Approximately ten hours ago, Captain."

“Has he eaten anything since then?”

“Sir is extremely busy working on the upgrades to a new armour. He would not like to be disturbed.”

Steve took a final look at the stairs, contemplating if he should just jump down the entire flight – _he was sure he could land without breaking any bones_ – before turning and heading to the kitchen. About fifteen minutes later he returned to the steps, a cup of coffee and a sandwich in his hands. A red light appeared from the ceiling and scanned over his body before JARVIS said, "Caffeine levels at 45 percent. Access allowed. You may proceed, Captain Rogers."

"Thank you, JARVIS."

Steve just shook his head in disbelief as he walked down till he reached the sight of a familiar brunette hunched over a table, muttering to himself. He tapped the table with two fingers as he handed Tony the coffee wordlessly, basking in the warmth of Tony's grin as the other man thanked him for the coffee.

“So you actually bothered making the coffee, huh.” There was an undercurrent of suspicion beneath it, as if he expected Steve to ask for a favour in return.

Steve could not hide the amusement in his voice as he said, "You need to stop electrocuting people, Tony. I mean, as security measures they’re great, but if you want coffee all you need to do is ask me and I’ll make you some alright?"

Tony grinned at him and said before taking a bite of the sandwich Steve had brought in addition to the coffee, "Only you would come down here, you know that right?"

"No, I didn't – You mean no one else checks on you?"

The smile slid right off Tony’s face at his choice of words.

His tone was no longer friendly, and had become flat as he said, "Don't worry about it, Steve. You can stop coming if you want to. You don’t have to _check_ on me, I’m a perfectly capable human being. Thanks for the coffee, is there something you need?"

The business-like tone Tony had adopted was like a sudden punch to the gut, and Steve felt slightly shocked at the shift in the mood. At that moment, more than anything, Steve wanted to tell Tony that that was the furthest thing from the truth, that he loved coming down simply because he could _be_ _with Tony_ , but somehow the words lay unspoken on his tongue and he shook his head before leaving the workshop without another word.

___________________________________

Despite the failure of his courage at that crucial moment a few days before, Steve was not a man who was easily fazed and he decided to head for the workshop again. Halfway down the flight of stairs with a tray of food – _he wasn’t sure if Tony had disabled the caffeine scanner_ – he heard a squelching sound and without any warning he was immobilized. Looking down, he saw with horror that the steps were now covered in a white milky substance that was glowing. As he lifted a leg, the substance recoiled and pulled him backwards, causing the sole of his foot to hit against the ground sharply. Not one to give up so easily, he tried again but the substance had a consistency similar to chewing gum, and it pulled his leg back.

The tray of food he was holding wobbled unsteadily in his hands, and the sandwiches slid precariously close to the side such that Steve almost fell over while trying to maintain his balance without dropping the tray. Once again, he had to seek help from the being that was probably most knowledgeable about his predicament.

"JARVIS..."

"May I assist you, Captain Rogers?"

Steve looked helplessly at his feet which was currently covered in the white substance and asked, "What the heck is this stuff?"

"A new substance Sir invented for Agent Barton, who requested some new trick arrows."

"Right. How do I get it off?"

"I am allowed to activate one of the bots to spray a solvent, however... "

Steve raised an eyebrow before he repeated, "However?"

"List 5 reasons why you like Tony Stark." There was no jest in the A.I’s voice, JARVIS was being perfectly serious.

"This is ridiculous."

"Do you need assistance coming up with reasons, Captain?"

Steve was unsure of what it was at that moment – anger, passion, frustration, love – that made him shout at the ceiling "No, I mean it's ridiculous you ask me to pick _five_ when I have an infinite number of reasons as to why I like Tony!"

It took Steve a few moments before he realized the enormity of what he had just said, and as his cheeks turned bright red at the fact that he had just shouted _that_ out loud without any inhibition, he silently thanked god that there were no other Avengers around. There were a few more seconds of hollow silence where Steve wished he could sink into the ground before the sound of buzzing filled the air. A tiny flying drone landed near his feet, spraying another unknown substance onto the first. The gel like adhesive dissolved into water vapour immediately, making him a free man again.

He nodded at the tiny drone before following it downstairs. Shoulders straightened, chest puffed, he looked like he was heading into battle…except for the flowery tray loaded with sandwiches and cups full of coffee.

Tony was facing a holographic screen, watching a video. Steve took another step towards him, fingers clenched tight over the edges of the tray, only to snap it cleanly in half when he heard his own voice going, “I have an infinite number of reasons as to why I like Tony!”

The sound of sandwiches hitting the floor captured Tony’s attention, and he spun around to look Steve straight in the eyes. The curiosity that was flashing in his eyes, the _amusement_ , at Steve’s declaration was too much for him to bear, and Steve turned and ran back to the safety of the common room.

He did not hear Tony calling after him.

___________________________________

Steve was beginning to think that he was insane to keep doing this as he took a small step into the elevator a few days later. His mind was constantly shifting between wanting to see Tony and the rush of shame that came when he remembered how Tony had practically had a confession thrown in his face. That wasn’t how Steve had planned it at all because Tony deserved so much better than _that,_ and Steve felt his cheeks burn at the thought.

That is when he nearly threw a punch at the wall when the opening of AC/DC's 'Back in Black' started blaring out of the speakers.

"Jesus! Tony!" he shouted as he covered his ears.

The music cut off without any warning, and in place came JARVIS's soothing dulcet tones.

"Captain, are you aware of the lyrics to Sir's favourite songs?"

Steve just shook his head dazedly, still reeling from the effects of the music. He tried to talk, but his head was throbbing and all he said was "What? I don't, no I don't know! All I want is to go down to the workshop!"

Steve was sure it was the rush of the adrenaline that caused him to keep shouting.

"In order to get to the workshop you have to sing along to the songs, Captain."

"What? What songs?"

"No worries, Captain. Sir has created a playlist that he uses in the elevator, I am loading it now."

The right wall of the elevator lit up, and a few lines of text appeared. Steve leaned forward and took a closer look, unable to believe his eyes when he realized that it was the lyrics to ‘Back in Black’ on the elevator wall, ready for Steve to sing along. He pressed his lips tightly together.

"Tell me when you want to start, Captain."

He sighed. "JARVIS, can you just let me out?"

"I'm sorry Captain, but it has been programmed and I cannot override the code."

Steve swallowed hard before asking, “Does he not want me to go down? Is that why he keeps doing this?”

All of a sudden he felt something click in his mind and he managed to keep his composure as he said, “Because it’s not going to work. Start the music.”

Afterwards, when they were in Tony's workshop watching the recording of Steve's singing session in the elevator, he had to admit that it was actually kind of fun and the music was pretty good, not that he would ever admit that to Tony. After all, the man had practically forced him into making a fool of himself. But watching Tony laugh at the way he sang, watching Tony’s shoulders relax when he saw Steve struggling with the words, he felt that it was all worth it.

___________________________________

Steve considered the previous day a success as he had managed to make Tony put off work for a while so that he could, in Tony’s words, ‘ _teach him about modern music_ ’. The passion that Tony showed could have been equal to the times when he was working on other projects, and Steve had to admit that he enjoyed the undivided attention Tony directed at him.

So he was determined to get to Tony's workshop no matter the challenge, because if doing so meant that he could have Tony’s attention focused on him and _him alone_ again, Steve would have agreed to any ridiculous request the man had in a heartbeat. Besides, he enjoyed these little missions. It only made the satisfaction when he finally reached the workshop so much greater. Recalling the way Tony had placed his hand over Steve’s because the gesture sensor had malfunctioned when they were making a playlist yesterday, he stepped into the elevator with an unabashed smile as the doors slid shut.

"Heading to the workshop, Captain?"

"Yes, please."

He felt the elevator move for a few seconds before it stalled.

"JARVIS?"

The AI said in a slightly amused tone, "Captain Rogers. In order to move forward you have to answer a few questions."

Steve eyes lit up as he thought, _another challenge?_ But he decided to play along and switched his tone, making it sound tentative. "Do we really have to do this? All I want to do is go to the workshop."

"Do you prefer to be called 'Capsicle' or 'The Star Spangled Man with a Plan'?"

"Wha – Steve. Steve is fine."

"Do you currently possess any Iron Man merchandise?"

Steve most definitely did not think of the red and gold t-shirt ( _It had a drawing of the suit with the caption ‘The Invincible Iron Man’_ ) he had bought then stashed in a deep corner of his closet. It had been ages ago, when he had been walking through a street fair alone, about to have a breakdown thinking about how the world was so different when he caught a glimpse of something familiar for him to hold onto. The amount of comfort that shirt had brought him in that moment was a secret Steve had vowed to keep silent for life, and he certainly was not about to tell the A.I that _Tony had created._

"I don't– no I do not have any Iron Man merchandise."

JARVIS’s voice was calm and even. “It would be extremely beneficial if you were completely honest, Captain. Trust me, every one of your answers will remain confidential.”

Steve looked at the floor as he mumbled, “It’s just a shirt alright?”

"What is your favourite food?"

"What is this about, JARVIS?”

He frowned as he wondered about the purpose of all these questions.

JARVIS didn’t skip a beat as he said, “Please answer the question, Captain.”

“I like apple pie. Hamburgers. Milkshakes. Is that enough?”

"Yes. What is your idea of a perfect date? Catching a movie? Having dinner together?"

"JARVIS, could you please –"

"I can only activate the elevator after you've answered the question, Captain."

"Fine. Movie. I'd like a movie date. Sitting on the couch with a good movie and some buttery popcorn, that’s a perfect date."

"Have you ever considered going on a date with Tony Stark?"

Steve pressed two fingers to his wrinkled brow. This wasn't funny anymore, not when his feelings were involved, even though Tony didn't know that. He said curtly, “I’m not going to answer that. And I’d like to get out _now.”_

There was a beep.

"Sir has asked me to relay a message: Stop coming to the workshop without adequate reason.”

"He thinks I should stop –”

Steve turned to face the tiny camera in the corner, "I know you can see me, can you let me out? If we're going to do this I want to do it face to face."

There was a moment of silence before Tony's voice streamed into the elevator.

"Why do you keep coming to the workshop even though you have to do all this ridiculous shit to get here?"

"What are you doing, Tony? If you want to ask me questions, could you at least let me out of the elevator?"

The doors slid open, and there stood Tony with his arms crossed and hair mussed up, as if he had been running his hands through it recently. He motioned for Steve to take a seat on the couch before repeating, "Why do you keep coming to the workshop even though you have to do all this ridiculous shit to get here?" Tony bit his lip and shrugged. "The first time was an accident though, I didn't mean for you to take off your shirt. I needed the extra power to – never mind that now. Although I have to admit that's a sight for sore eyes, your daily workouts are really effective, keep it up. Anyway, I'd like an answer to my question."

“You’re a genius, think about it.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Do you know how many times I’ve heard that line? I know I’m a genius, you don’t have to validate that. That’s not even a good line because you’re either a) too lazy to explain things to me, or b) unwilling to explain things to me so you throw the whole ‘you’re a genius’ thing to let me draw my own conclusions which I really do not know –”

Steve got up silently and stood close enough so their hands were almost touching. Tony not flinching or moving away could be either a sign of him standing his ground, or it could be that he was waiting for Steve to come to him. So he opened his mouth and said simply, “Because no matter how many different and crazy paths I have to walk through, I will _always_ reach you in the end. I know, I know, it’s not the most well-written or romantic or perfectly crafted confession that you deserve, but when I’m with you it’s always something else and I just can’t –” He closed his eyes and swallowed hard, his hands clenched tightly at his sides.

As always, Tony did not waste a single second and he moved forward before he placed a finger on his lips. "That’s. That’s really… it’s okay Steve. I know what you’re trying to say, I don’t _need_ any of those types of confessions.”

Then his voice took on a playful edge as he said, “Any chance there's a kiss involved in this whole confession thing? Because being kissed by you would be fantastic right now."

So Steve did exactly that.


End file.
